was the favorite for the Classic after winning six straight starts leading up to the race, including California's three most prestigious races for older horses – the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic. A win at the Breeders' Cup would have made Game On Dude the favorite for Horse of the Year honors. The second choice was Mucho Macho Man, who had finished second in the 2012 Classic. He was pulled up in his first start of 2013, suffering from what was later determined to be a respiratory illness. He missed months of training while recovering, then returned in the summer with two third place finishes on the East Coast. Shipping to California to prep for the Classic, Mucho Macho Man posted an impressive win in the Awesome Again Stakes. Facing them was a highly competitive field, including:
Game On Dude went to the early lead, joined by Fort Larned and longshot Moreno. Setting a brisk pace, the three exchanged leads for the first three-quarters of a mile before first Moreno, then Game On Dude started to fall back. Meanwhile, Mucho Macho Man raced a few lengths behind until starting his move while racing wide on the final turn, moving to the lead with a quarter of a mile to go. As they entered the stretch, Declaration of War failed to change leads but still moved into second, slowly closing ground on the leader. Will Take Charge also started making up ground on the turn while running six wide. As they approached the finish, the gap between the three horses narrowed until the final stride, where the result was too close to call with the naked eye. A photo finish showed Mucho Macho Man had held on to win by inches, with Will Take Charge a head in front of Declaration of War. The finish was later named the NTRA Moment of the Year. It was the first Classic win for jockey Gary Stevens, who had resumed racing in 2013 at age 50 after having retired seven years earlier due to a series of injuries. "This is a dream come true," he said. "This is the one race missing from my résumé." Katherine Ritvo became the first female trainer to win the Classic, an especially noteworthy feat for a woman who had undergone a heart transplant in 2008. Ritvo gave credit to the horse and rider. "When Gary waved the stick, I figured he won," she added. "He got a great trip. Gary did a fantastic job. When he used 'Macho,' 'Macho' showed up. He is a good horse. I'm excited. If I didn't have the support of my family, I wouldn't be here." Mucho Macho Man was later awarded the Eclipse Award for Champion older male horse, although he lost out in Horse of the Year balloting to turf horse Wise Dan. Will Take Charge's second place finish helped him earn the title for Champion three-year-old colt.
